Though I’ve always loved writing, I also used to be an artist–even had dreams of being one professionally. In High School I spent my lunch hours in the art room, paint brush in one hand, food in the other. All very healthy, I’m sure. When it was time to go to college, I was admitted as an art major. Only I found that over time I was more interested in my pet writing projects than I was in my artwork.
One day in my printmaking class (I loved lithography) we had to display half a semester’s worth of artwork on the wall and submit to a whole class critique. Someone pointed out that all of my artwork had a strong mood to it, as if there was already a story behind it, and everyone agreed. They were right. Even my artwork really wanted to be a piece of writing. It was one of the many signs leading to my epiphany that it was time to change majors. And yes, this story has a point…I’m getting to it!
For a while now I’ve been posting images of fantasy art on my facebook page every Wednesday, just for fun. I really enjoy the artwork, which takes me back to the days when I made my own. But I also love the different moods these works evoke, stirring up my creative muse, and planting seeds for new scenes or stories yet to be written.
It occurred to me that it might be twice the fun to combine Fantasy Art Wednesday with a writing prompt. Fresh ideas, whether we follow through with them on paper, or simply let them excite our imaginations, can do wonders for our current works in progress. For those writers who aren’t working on anything in particular right now, maybe it’s time to start. Perhaps with a picture–they really can say a thousand words…or even a hundred thousand.
So let’s start with this one. (I don’t know who the artist is, but will always make a point to give credit when available.) It sets quite a mood, with the dim green light of the wood offset by the warm glow of lamps and lit windows. Paths wind on and through the branches and roots. Are the people tiny, or is the plant life exceptionally large? Was this place built by people at all? Do they welcome visitors? How did they get here, and what are their beliefs and culture like? You’re the writer–you decide…
Allison D. Reid 
Reblogged this on The Weaving Word.
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It looks a bit like Rivendell meets Lothlorien to me. 🙂
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Could be…I could see Tolkien elves living there. But I could also see it being a whole secret community of Borrowers (Mary Norton) too. Could be fairies? Who knows. Interesting picture though with lots of detail. I can lose myself in it if I stare for too long. I really want to know what is behind all of those little windows.
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So would you ever design your own cover or illustrations? Or do you feel you can’t paint as well as you can write? 🙂
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I haven’t painted in so long I’m not sure I could anymore. Lithography is what I loved most, but that takes a huge amount of expensive equipment and supplies I don’t have access to anymore. My biggest problem with art was I could never get the reality to match my vision. I had an artistic mind, but my actual skill never measured up to my own standards, and it frustrated the heck out of me. I’m a much better writer than artist, I’m afraid. So I’m leaving my cover designs to those with both the vision and talent to make amazing things happen.
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I agree with Andrea, I was thinking this is totally Lothlorien as I was looking at the image. So I’d just point people to read that part of The Fellowship of the Ring and let them thank me later for it. 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Scholarly Scribe and commented:
A fun and interesting piece of art to inspire the writers out there.
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